Chapter 68: Where Have You Been? (II)
Chapter 68: Where Have You Been? (II)
He knew that if there was really something that couldn’t be seen by others, it must have been secretly disposed of by then.
However, there was a time lag there. Since the accident last night, there had been all guards in that place.
Forget about how the bomb exploded first. If there was really something that hadn’t been dealt with, then… was it still in there?
Anyway, they’d just try their luck.
With such an idea in mind, Long and Shi began to "stroll" in the mansion.
"This is the most bombed place," Shi said in front of a huge pit.
Long looked around. "Right, the bomb must have exploded here… But, was it a rockery? Or a pool? What’s the point of blasting here?"
After thinking about it, Shi said, "How about having it dug to the bottom?"
Long was stunned. "You doubt there’s something down there?"
"Just have a try," Shi said.
Long thought about it and agreed. "Okay, let’s do it."
Then, all the guards who had just left were called back.
"Dig one meter. Let me see what there was at this bombed place!"
"Yes!" All the guards responded and then began to work.
Long left a Shadow Guardian there to keep watch and then left with Shi.
That Shadow Guardian did his duty attentively while Long Xiaoyuan and Shi Qingzhou returned to the palace.
"Your Majesty, are you going to impose a heavy penalty on that man?"
"What do you think?" Long asked.
Shi looked up at him. "Your Majesty, you don’t look like a person who will kill innocent people."
Long was very surprised. "I’m just asking you. I won’t kill innocent people!"
Shi rolled his eyes and said with a smile, "Your Majesty, don’t you know Shadow Guardians’ means of torture? Even the Men of Sacrifice couldn’t stand it. Five of them died very soon and the last one didn’t hold on for a long time. Now they’re all gone."
"Well…" Long blinked. "Qingzhou, what do you think?"
Shi smiled slightly. "Your Majesty, if you trust me, then let me interrogate that man…"
"Hmm? You’ll do that?" Long was really shocked by that.
Shi smiled slightly. "What? Is there any problem?"
"No, no problem!" Long said immediately, "Qingzhou, it’s not that I don’t trust you, but… why do you want to interrogate that man in person? Is there anything special about him?"
Shi shook his head. "There’s nothing special. I just don’t wanna let go of anyone who might become a talent."
Long was stunned and opened his mouth in amazement.
Shi felt his silly expression was really funny and couldn’t help laughing.
Then, Long closed his mouth with a wry smile. "Okay, Qingzhou, you know what? Sometimes, I feel that you are more suitable to be the emperor than me."
The one who was shocked then was Shi Qingzhou.
Then, Long smiled. "What’s with that look? Are you shocked this time?"
Shi found it both funny and annoying. "How can you make such a joke? Really…" He didn’t know what to say.
Long shrugged. "I was just kidding. But Qingzhou, you aren’t the emperor, but the better half of mine. That’s also great!"
Shi smiled. "Alright…"
Long kissed Shi on the chin with a smile. "Well, since you want to scout talents, then, I’ll leave him to you."
Shi nodded and said seriously, "Okay."
Long patted him on the shoulder.
"Okay, Qingzhou, you can go. I’ll go to the Imperial Study."
Shi nodded and left.
Before going to the Imperial Study, he strolled to the little prince’s bedroom. However…
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty." Seeing that Long Xiaoyuan went in, Lady Shan hurriedly called out.
Long looked at her. "Why are you here?"
Lady Shan was aggrieved and looked at Long with tears in her eyes.
But Long frowned. "You came in… Why didn’t anyone report it?"
Lady Shan blinked. "Your Majesty…"
Long looked at her coldly.
Lady Shan quivered with panic.
"I’ll ask you again. Why didn’t anyone report it before you came in?"
Long’s voice became stern and Lady Shan trembled with fear. "Your Majesty… I… I saw there was no one outside, so I just came in…"
"There was no one outside?" Long frowned.
"Yes, yes, I also wanted someone to report it to you earlier, but there was no one outside, so I just came in. Please forgive me, Your Majesty!"
Although she was begging for forgiveness, the expression in her eyes was still seductive.
Long frowned unconsciously again. He didn’t believe her words, so he decided to go out and have a check.
Seeing that he was walking outside, Lady Shan’s heart thumped.
"Your Majesty, where are you going?"
Long gave her a cold stare and Lady Shan shut her mouth immediately.
Long went outside. As soon as he got out of the palace, he saw two maids running in a hurry.
Long narrowed his eyes and recognized that those two maids were from Qiankun Palace.
The two maids rushed over and knelt down in front of him.
"Your Majesty, please forgive me."
Long looked at the two maids coldly. "Where have you been?"
The two maids’ facial expression changed immediately. "Your Majesty, the Imperial Kitchen asked me to go there, so I went there."
"Your Majesty, the Internal Affairs Department said that they’d hand out silks and satins and asked me there, so I went there."
"Where are the others?" Long asked in a cold voice.
The two maids looked at each other and then lowered their heads. "I don’t know. I was the first to leave."
"I was the second to leave."
Long’s face darkened.
Just then, two eunuchs went back.
One eunuch had a basket in his hands and the other one had a box.
When they saw that something seemed to have gone wrong there, they were all shocked and rushed over.
"Greetings, Your Majesty. Long live Your Majesty."
Long asked coldly, "Where have you been?"
"Your Majesty, I went to the Imperial Garden and picked some petals to make fragrant steamed cakes."
"Your Majesty, Vice-chief Eunuch Liu ordered me to meet him, so I went there."
Vice-chief Eunuch Liu, which was Liu Xiangyang, worked by the side of Long Xiaoyuan.
Long frowned hard.
There were eight eunuchs and maids in total in Qiankun Palace.
"And the other four? Where did they go?" Long asked in a cold voice.
Those two maids didn’t know that. One of the two eunuchs said that he was the third to leave and the other one said he was the fourth. Long’s face got even darker.
It wasn’t that he was making a fuss because Lady Shan broke in, but… It seemed that someone was taking advantage of the situation.
Because when he asked where the other four people went, he remembered that they were sent by Shi Qingzhou for some matters!
A eunuch and a maid followed Shi to interrogate the "talent".
And the other two… It seemed that Shi also sent them away. That happened when they just came back.
Unexpectedly, Shi didn’t notice that the other four people had been all gone.
Fortunately, it was Lady Shan who went there earlier.
What if it was a killer? What if it was a concubine whose target was the little prince?
The only person who was staying with the little prince then was just a nanny who didn’t know anything about martial arts!
All the people were kneeling there. Lady Shan lowered her head and didn’t dare to show her presence.
Long took a deep breath and said lightly, "Alright, all of you, get back to your position. Pay more attention in the future. Don’t let all people leave the palace."
"Yes!" All the people replied in unison immediately.
Long waved them away and also asked Lady Shan to leave. He didn’t know why, but still felt the whole thing… was a little strange. Yet, it seemed like everything was also quite reasonable.
Long frowned deeply.
Forget it. Don’t think about it.
Unable to figure it out, Long decided to go to the Imperial Study first.
When he arrived at the Imperial Study, he saw Liu Xiangyang, who was guarding the door. While going in, he said, "Liu Xiangyang, come in." "Yes!" Liu Xiangyang answered quickly and followed him into the room. Then, he closed the door under the order of Long Xiaoyuan.
"You summoned a eunuch in the empress’ palace today?"
"Yes." Liu was stunned, but still replied quickly.
Long puckered his lips. "What did you summon him for?"
Liu was stunned again, but replied immediately, "I summoned them once in five days just for routine questions to see if there is any need in each palace. Today, the palace happens to…"
"Oh?" Long raised his eyebrows. "How many people knew you’d summon them today as a matter of routine?"
His words stunned Liu again. "There are several people…"
"Then make a list and sort it carefully. Something happened in the empress’ palace today. Go to investigate…"